Principal activities
The principal activity of the company is the construction of dwellings for group companies and others.
This report outlines the strategic direction, performance, and governance of the company operating within the UK housebuilding sector during the period February 2025 to January 2026. The report reflects the company’s response to market conditions, regulatory requirements, and evolving housing demand across the United Kingdom.
The trading environment has remained challenging throughout the period, which has impacted financial performance year on year. Key financial metrics are summarised below:
£’000 | 2026 | 2025 |
Turnover | £40,076 | £33,360 |
Retained Earnings | £2,744 | £1,892 |
Net Assets | £2,744 | £1,892 |
Return on Capital Employed | 32.37% | 14.73% |
Operational Metrics
During the year, the following metrics were achieved:
Plot completions 81 (2025: 36)
Affordable Housing completions 30 (2025: 45)
Build starts 1 equating to 164 plots
Planning permissions 2 equating to 180 plots
Private plot completions were 125% higher than the prior year at 81 versus 36, reflecting the conversion of carried forward stock unsold in the previous year. Market conditions continued to be influenced by affordability pressures, mortgage availability and wider economic uncertainty, resulting in cautious buyer behaviour.
Sales activity remained variable throughout the period and the mixed messaging and lack of Government stimulus to the Housing sector during the summer of 2025 certainly caused further uncertainty. Whilst there were early signs of stabilization in mortgage rates the recent war in Iran and continuing conflicts in the Ukraine have increased pressure on inflation and expectations of Bank of England base rate reductions are not flowing through as a result. Furthermore, affordability remains a key constraint for many purchasers and Consumer confidence continues to require further support to stimulate transaction levels across the housing market.
The Group operated from 5 active selling outlets during the year with an additional 2 fully sold during the year. Developments continue to offer a diverse product mix, enabling the Group to appeal to a broad customer base, supported by a targeted and proactive marketing strategy.
In response to market conditions, the Group has continued to utilise a range of sales incentives including part exchange, assisted move schemes and other tailored solutions to support buyers and maintain sales rates.
The Group remains focused on minimizing completed stock levels to avoid stock holding costs by reviewing build programs versus sales rates. Whilst operating profits have improved as a result of higher plot sales, elevated borrowing costs continue to impact overall profitability. Active management of stock levels and financing arrangements remains a key focus of the Board.
Cost pressures have persisted across the sector, particularly in relation to materials and subcontract labour. Whilst inflationary pressures have moderated compared to prior periods, pricing remains elevated. The Group continues to mitigate these challenges through strong supplier relationships and proactive procurement strategies.
Planning continues to present a significant constraint to growth, with local authorities facing ongoing resource limitations. Despite this, the Group has made good progress in advancing its strategic land portfolio, with a number of sites progressing through the planning system, providing a solid foundation for future delivery.
The Group continues to support the UK Government’s ambitions to increase housing supply. However, achieving these targets will require meaningful reform across the planning system and wider development process to enable more efficient delivery of new homes. Any Government initiatives such as the expired Help to Buy scheme to stimulate demand particularly for first time buyers would be welcome.
The Group’s long-term strategy remains focused on the acquisition and promotion of strategic land, converting this into consented developments to support a sustainable pipeline of future projects.
Following the year end, progress on key developments and planning consents provides increased visibility over future delivery. Forward sales on selected sites have strengthened the Group’s cash position and support resilience against ongoing economic uncertainty.
The Directors remain confident in the long-term prospects of the Group and its ability to adapt to evolving market conditions.
Macroeconomic Environment
The reporting period has been characterised by a number of significant macroeconomic factors which have directly impacted the UK housing market and are expected to continue influencing performance in the year ahead.
Interest rates remained elevated for much of the period as the Bank of England continued its efforts to manage inflation. Although there were glimmers of hope that inflationary pressures were easing the recent conflict in the Middle East has pushed up fuel prices and borrowing costs have remained high relative to historical levels, directly impacting mortgage affordability and buyer demand.
Inflation, whilst moderate compared to prior years is creeping up again which has continued to affect both consumer confidence and build costs. Materials and labour costs are less volatile but remain at heightened levels, placing continued pressure on margins across the sector.
The wider UK economy has experienced low growth, with periods of stagnation impacting consumer sentiment. Affordability constraints, coupled with cost of living pressures, have contributed to cautious purchasing behaviour among prospective homeowners.
As the sector moves into 2026, there were initial signs of cautious recovery and stabilisation following the contraction seen in 2024 and 2025. However, it is our view that Industry output will grow modestly but perhaps at a slower pace than forecasts initially suggested. With this uncertainty, we believe that pursuing our Strategy, aligning our development sites in the right Geographical locations and using a balanced blend of tenure types will stand us in good stead. We will also continue to partner with the right Housing Associations to deliver much needed affordable housing.
House prices are expected to see modest growth over the year, with increases generally forecast between 1.5% and 4%. Mortgage rates had begun to stabilize but have become a little more fragile more recently, but affordability remains a key constraint, particularly for first-time buyers, due to lending criteria and deposit requirements.
The change in UK Government has introduced renewed focus on housing delivery, including proposed planning reforms and infrastructure legislation aimed at unlocking development sites. Whilst these measures are welcomed by the industry, their effectiveness will depend on implementation, the capacity of local planning authorities and how quickly changes take to filter through the planning process. Furthermore, it will depend on how the sector can stimulate demand as Consumer confidence, given such uncertainty in the market place is making buyers very cautious.
Additional regulatory pressures are emerging, including the introduction of the Building Safety Levy, which is expected to increase costs for developers putting even further strain on the industry.
Labour shortages continue to present challenges to the construction sector albeit less so in the areas we operate which could limit the pace at which developments can be delivered. This is compounded by an ageing workforce and ongoing skills shortages. This is mitigated via recruitment, training and retention strategies.
Sustainability requirements are also increasing, with greater emphasis on energy efficiency and environmental performance of new homes. This presents both a challenge in terms of cost and an opportunity to differentiate through high-quality, future-proofed developments.
Looking ahead, the outlook for the remainder of 2026 is one of cautious optimism. Recovery is expected to be gradual rather than rapid, with demand anticipated to improve should mortgage conditions stabilise. Increased use of partnership models, including collaborations with housing associations and institutional investors, is expected to play a greater role in delivery.
From a regional perspective, the South Coast market continues to experience many of the national trends but with additional localised pressures. Affordability constraints remain particularly acute due to comparatively higher house prices relative to earnings. Demand from both local purchasers and inward migration remains supportive; however, transaction levels continue to be influenced by mortgage availability and pricing.
Planning constraints remain especially pronounced across South Coast locations, with environmental considerations such as nutrient neutrality continuing to restrict the release of developable land. Phosphate neutrality requirements impacting the River Avon catchment and nitrate neutrality requirements affecting the Solent region have created significant barriers to development. These constraints have required developers to secure mitigation solutions adding both cost and complexity to the planning process. Whilst challenging to date, we have managed to navigate through these constraints to continue to develop. Local authority resourcing challenges have further contributed to delays in securing planning consents, but we continue to pursue good working relationship with planning departments.
Despite these challenges, the South Coast remains an attractive long-term market, supported by strong underlying demand, desirable locations, and limited housing supply. The Group continues to focus on progressing its strategic land interests in the region, working closely with stakeholders to unlock sites and deliver sustainable developments.
We would welcome further government support measures, potentially including revised equity loan schemes, to provide additional stimulus to the housing market and support transaction volumes.
The Group continues to monitor these macroeconomic factors closely and will adapt its strategy accordingly to mitigate risks and capitalise on emerging opportunities.
As with any business, the Group faces risks and uncertainties in the course of its operations. It is only by timely identification and effective management of these risks that we can deliver our strategy and grow the business.
The board have considered the prospects of the company and have considered its current financial position and its principal risks. Fundamentally, these arise from the deterioration of the health of the UK economy, brought about by uncertainty, loss of consumer confidence, higher interest rates and increasing unemployment, leading to decreased affordability, reducing demand for housing, and falling house prices.
The main activities of the group are that of building and development of private dwelling houses for sale. With this comes the potential risks such as:
The adverse effects on consumer confidence could significantly impact the demand for new homes resulting in lower revenues and profits. Pricing reviews and continually monitoring supply and demand trends as well as forward looking forecast will allow the Group to navigate any challenges it may face.
Economic and political uncertainty is always going to present challenges. Whether that is at a global or local level it will always be difficult to plan ahead. The ambitions of the Labour Government which was set out in their manifesto intended to benefit the industry by increasing numbers of housing being built. It is well documented that this, to date, has been exceptionally challenging and thus far this ambition is falling short. The Group remains optimistic that some hard hitting Government decisions will be made and quickly to stimulate activity to achieve the overall target. Furthermore, government policy on taxes, inflation and spending will all play its part on the sector.
Mortgage servicing costs remain a key risk for homeowners, particularly amid ongoing interest rate volatility and persistent inflationary pressures. This makes affordability one of the fundamentals of buying houses difficult, particularly for first time buyers. Most house sales are bought using mortgages to finance the purchase. Mortgage rates are higher than the last decade and whilst we saw some settling down for a period, we are starting to see some slight creep up in rates considering the recent conflict in Iran. The impact of Government policy and the Bank of England rate charges in the coming months and years will play a key role in consumer confidence.
Since 2022, borrowing rates have been rising markedly and have a significant impact on the group as funding costs become more expensive making development project less profitable or in some cases unviable. The Group continually manages this by working with its funders to obtain the best cost effective funding available.
Liquidity and the availability of cash is a constraint to any business. The Group monitors cash availability and constraints periodically. During the year the Group also entered into a Revolving Credit Facility of £70 million which demonstrates the supportive nature its lending partners.
Continuing to operate best practice with our Health and Safety to best protect those on potentially dangerous construction sites is of paramount importance to us. Any legislative changes to these practices would filter through our external advisors to all relevant personnel via tool box talks, site inductions, and formal training sessions. Employee wellbeing and mental health is particularly important in the construction sector and is regarded as one of the highest sectors of sufferers. Employee wellbeing is integral to ensuring the workforce have a safe, enjoyable environment to work in and the intangible benefit of this is a more effective workforce.
Material cost inflation and supply have seen prices escalate in recent years with the advent of a number of global factors causing economic volatility and demand. Prices are starting to stabilize although we are not seeing any evidence yet of a reduction in prices. Locking in prices on a long-term basis is proving difficult as the overall supply chain itself wrestles with uncertainty. This uncertainty is also leading to a worsening of credit terms when exploring new suppliers so continuing and leveraging existing relationships are paramount.
An aging construction workforce, coupled with decreasing apprenticeship intake and the Brexit leakages, are potentially leading to skills shortages of workers. This will be a major concern over the next decade and will have a detrimental impact on meeting demand. The tight labour market, cost of living crisis and increases in National Minimum Wage are all driving higher wages in the sector. Being able to attract and retain high calibre employees to meet the demands of the business as it grows is of paramount importance. As the business grows, the demands and skillsets of individuals need to change to cater for ever changing dynamics of the house building industry. Training and recruitment alongside other factors such as remuneration are constantly reviewed and monitored to ensure the group remains competitive when attracting and retaining staff. Employee engagement and feedback sit alongside our recruitment and retention processes.
Planning consents remain challenging with local authorities struggling with resource constraints coupled with demonstrating nutrient neutrality on development sites. Issues surrounding Nitrates flowing into the Solent and Phosphates into the River Avon has been a challenge for all development areas affected, practically grinding planning permissions to a halt. Buying into third party schemes has provided a much needed solution in relation to Nitrates. We have resolved the Phosphates problem by being one of the first in the UK to create a strategic Phosphate mitigation scheme.
Local Authorities often insist on Property Developer entering into bond agreements to de-risk their exposure for any unfinished construction activity if a developer defaults. Unfortunately, this is becoming increasingly onerous particularly for SME developers. The cost of bonds, the cash tie up, and the shrinking surety market is making the position untenable with limited options available which potentially delays site delivery. All options continually get reviewed and solution are being explored.
On behalf of the board
The directors present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 January 2026.
No dividends will be distributed for the year ended 31 January 2026.
No ordinary dividends were paid. The directors do not recommend payment of a final dividend.
The directors who held office during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were as follows:
The Company has chosen in accordance with Companies Act 2006, s. 414C(11) to set out in the companies Strategic Report information required by Large and Medium-sized companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008, sch. 7 to be contained in the Directors’ Report. It has done so in respect of future developments
Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the directors have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). Under company law, the directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that period.
In preparing these financial statements, the directors are required to:
select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.
The directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
We have audited the financial statements of Pennyfarthing Construction Limited for the year ended 31 January 2026 which comprise the statement of comprehensive income, the balance sheet and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Basis for opinion
Conclusions relating to going concern
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the directors' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the directors with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
Other information
Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of our audit:
the information given in the strategic report and the directors' report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
the strategic report and the directors' report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.
We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks that are applicable to the company and determined that the most significant frameworks which are directly relevant so specific assertions in the financial statements are those that relate to the reporting framework (UK GAAP and the Companies Act 2006) and the relevant tax compliance regulations in the UK.
We understood how the company is complying with those frameworks by making enquiries of management and those responsible for legal and compliance procedures. We corroborated our enquiries through review of board minutes and discussions with those charged with governance.
We assess the susceptibility of the company's financial statements to material misstatement, including how fraud might occur, by discussion with management from various parts of the business to understand where they considered there was a susceptibility to fraud. We considered the procedures and controls that the company has established to prevent and detect fraud, and how these are monitored by management, and also any enhanced risk factors such as performance targets.
Based on our understanding, we designed our audit procedures to identify any non-compliance with laws and regulations identified in the paragraphs above.
We also performed audit work over the risk of management override of controls, including testing of journal entries and other adjustments for appropriateness, evaluating the business rationale of significant transactions outside the normal course of business and reviewing accounting estimates for bias.
A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: http://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.
Use of our report
This report is made solely to the company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the company's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
The profit and loss account has been prepared on the basis that all operations are continuing operations.
Pennyfarthing Construction Limited is a private company limited by shares incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Pennyfarthing House, South Drive, Ossemsley, New Milton, Hampshire, England, BH25 5TL.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the company. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
This company is a qualifying entity for the purposes of FRS 102, being a member of a group where the parent of that group prepares publicly available consolidated financial statements, including this company, which are intended to give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the group. The company has therefore taken advantage of exemptions from the following disclosure requirements:
Section 7 ‘Statement of Cash Flows’: Presentation of a statement of cash flow and related notes and disclosures;
Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instrument Issues: Interest income/expense and net gains/losses for financial instruments not measured at fair value; basis of determining fair values; details of collateral, loan defaults or breaches, details of hedges, hedging fair value changes recognised in profit or loss and in other comprehensive income;
Section 26 ‘Share based Payment’: Share-based payment expense charged to profit or loss, reconciliation of opening and closing number and weighted average exercise price of share options, how the fair value of options granted was measured, measurement and carrying amount of liabilities for cash-settled share-based payments, explanation of modifications to arrangements;
Section 33 ‘Related Party Disclosures’: Compensation for key management personnel.
The financial statements of the company are consolidated in the financial statements of Pennyfarthing Developments Limited. These consolidated financial statements are available from its registered office,
Other financial assets, including investments in equity instruments which are not subsidiaries, associates or joint ventures, are initially measured at fair value, which is normally the transaction price. Such assets are subsequently carried at fair value and the changes in fair value are recognised in profit or loss, except that investments in equity instruments that are not publicly traded and whose fair values cannot be measured reliably are measured at cost less impairment.
Financial assets are derecognised only when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire or are settled, or when the company transfers the financial asset and substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to another entity, or if some significant risks and rewards of ownership are retained but control of the asset has transferred to another party that is able to sell the asset in its entirety to an unrelated third party.
Derivatives, including interest rate swaps and forward foreign exchange contracts, are not basic financial instruments. Derivatives are initially recognised at fair value on the date a derivative contract is entered into and are subsequently re-measured at their fair value. Changes in the fair value of derivatives are recognised in profit or loss in finance costs or finance income as appropriate, unless hedge accounting is applied and the hedge is a cash flow hedge.
Debt instruments that do not meet the conditions in FRS 102 paragraph 11.9 are subsequently measured at fair value through profit or loss. Debt instruments may be designated as being measured at fair value through profit or loss to eliminate or reduce an accounting mismatch or if the instruments are measured and their performance evaluated on a fair value basis in accordance with a documented risk management or investment strategy.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the company’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
Leases are classified as finance leases whenever the terms of the lease transfer substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to the lessees. All other leases are classified as operating leases.
Assets held under finance leases are recognised as assets at the lower of the assets fair value at the date of inception and the present value of the minimum lease payments. The related liability is included in the balance sheet as a finance lease obligation. Lease payments are treated as consisting of capital and interest elements. The interest is charged to profit or loss so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on the remaining balance of the liability.
Hire purchase and leasing commitments
Assets obtained under hire purchase contracts or finance leases are capitalised in the balance sheet. Those held under hire purchase contracts are depreciated over their estimated useful lives. Those held under finance leases are depreciated over their estimated useful lives or the lease term, whichever is the shorter.
The interest element of these obligations is charged to profit or loss over the relevant period. The capital element of the future payments is treated as a liability.
Preparation of the financial statements requires the directors to make significant judgements, estimates and assumptions. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and associated assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in that period and future periods where the revision affect both the current and future periods.
The main accounting estimates are:
Depreciation - the group establishes a reliable estimate of the useful lives of tangible fixed assets.
Investment property valuation - The group establishes a reliable estimate of the market value of investment properties based on internal valuations and the directors expertise in this area.
Land stock values - The company establishes a reliable estimate of the market value of the land which it holds in stock for future development and provides for any loss in value based on internal valuations and the directors expertise in this area.
Assessment of costs to complete - This involves estimating final development costs and selling prices and impacts profit recognised in allocating costs to sales completions before and after the year end.
Accrued costs - involving a degree of estimation uncertainty in respect of final account settlement.
The average monthly number of persons (including directors) employed by the company during the year was:
Directors' remuneration is borne by the another group entity and disclosed in those financial statements.
The actual charge for the year can be reconciled to the expected charge for the year based on the profit or loss and the standard rate of tax as follows:
Tangible fixed assets includes assets held under finance leases or hire purchase contracts, as follows:
Hire purchase contracts, which are secured debts, are included within creditors at £324,393 (2024: £194,367).
The following are the major deferred tax liabilities and assets recognised by the company and movements thereon:
The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the company in an independently administered fund.
During the year the company entered into the following transactions with related parties: